I remember seeing this cake being made during my time as an apprentice at Ravesis in Bondi, Australia, and being amazed at the idea of boiling oranges for two hours until they were soft! This cake and its ingredients had no resemblance, apart from eggs and sugar, to the cakes my Mum or Nana used to make. This is one of my favorite cakes for its simplicity, flavor, texture and best yet it's gluten-free.

Ingredients

1x10 inch cake pan

2 large oranges, washed

2 tbsp butter

1 1/2 tbsp sugar

5 large eggs

250g (8oz) ground almonds

250g (8oz) sugar

1 tsp baking powder

Pinch of salt

Method

Place oranges in a saucepan and cover with cold water. Take a piece of parchment paper and set over the oranges along with a plate (or a suitable weight) and set over the oranges to make sure they remain submerged. Bring to a rolling boil, lower heat and simmer for two hours. Remove from heat and allow to cool.

Once the oranges have cooled, split into quarters leaving skin intact. Remove as many pips (seeds) as possible and roughly chop.

Pre-heat oven to 190C/375F.

Butter the baking tin evenly and then dust with sugar to create a non-stick coating.

Place the oranges and eggs into a food processor and puree until smooth. In a separate bowl, mix the almond meal, sugar and baking powder. Whisk the orange and almond mixture into the almond meal until well incorporated.

Pour batter into the prepared cake pan, place into oven and bake for approximately 1 hour and 10 minutes. Because it is a dense cake, cooking time may vary. I find the best way to check for doneness is to push a skewer or toothpick into the cake. If it comes out clean, the cake is done.

Notes

Allow to cool and serve dusted with powdered sugar and a little fresh whipped cream.